


A Wife's Tale

by Extraho



Series: Promises Kept Until Their Dying Breath [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Author is SORRY!, Death, Depression, Kinda, Loss, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 02:58:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15087512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Extraho/pseuds/Extraho
Summary: In her dying moments, Maria Stark ponders her unusual marriage, and her husbands lover and the lovechild she raised as her own.





	A Wife's Tale

**Author's Note:**

> I'm severely sleep deprived, but this bunny would not let go.

#

 

She had been issued plenty of warnings when she accepted the courting of one Howard Anthony Stark.

She was told she’d be barefoot and pregnant before the wedding. It would be shotgun, if any wedding at all. Howard Stark was not above a bastard. He probably had many. She’d be easily discarded with a diamond bracelet. A Stark Special. 

What she found was… so far from that as one could get. 

Howard was a flirt if there ever was one, but he never put his hands on her. Only time he kissed her was their wedding. When he’d come with the ring and proposed to her, she had expected a bracelet.

She had not been in love. She had said so, and told him no. His reply had surprised her. 

“That’s okay,” Howard said, “You don’t have to.” 

“A marriage should be based on love, Howard, anything else…” 

“Is sad?” he asked, with a sad chuckle. Maria did not reply, not wanting to offend him. “Maria… I know you do not love me, and I… I lost the only person I ever loved in the war. We were gonna get married, kids, whole nine yards. Even picked out names and all…” 

Maria felt her heart shatter as she saw the telltale flush across his cheeks. The flush that was followed by tears. 

“I know you don’t love me. From our marriage, I could offer you companionship, a lifelong friend. I can’t give you love, a romantic partner, children…”

“Your heart truly feels so deeply it feels like a betrayal to have a child with someone else even after her death?” Maria asked softly. 

Howard nodded tearfully. “If you’d want, you could, and I’d claim them as my own, but… they can’t be from me.” 

Maria looked thoughtfully at the diamond ring. She picked it up and slid it on. “A lifelong friend, you say?” She took his hand, ring gleaming on her finger. “I will always be your friend Howard. And should you find love once more, I will not stand in your way.” 

Howard nodded, “That goes for you too.” 

 

They’d had a decade long peaceful, pleasurable marriage. 

Until Berlin. 

She’d hid when he broke in. He was a terrifying looking man. Decked in leather, weaponry and knives. His hair was long and greasy. Eyes covered in black smearing, making his blue eyes stand out manically. 

He stood a good six feet or muscled and powerful frame. 

 

“James Buchanan Barnes,3255738,” he had mumbled. 

He had repeated it again and again, like a mantra. She hid. 

Eventually, Howard came wandering in. She expected him to run, fight, anything. Her husband stopped in his tracks, glass hitting the floor with a shatter and papers sliding and fluttering to the ground.

“James Buchanan Barnes,3255738,” the man mumbled again, a bit louder this time. 

“James…” Her husband gasped. Howard knew him? “How, wha… James?” 

“Howard.” 

Her husband sobbed and threw himself at the other man. The man she now knew was James caught him and embraced him tightly.

And then they kissed. 

Kissed. 

Maria had been so shocked. Her husband was queer. 

And… James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky Barnes was supposed to have died in the war. 

They tumbled to the bedroom and Maria heard James speak. “You married. Love her?”

“Friend,” Howard gasped, “Just friends.” 

“Ever kiss her?” 

“Only wedding.” 

“Good.” 

Then the sound of tearing fabric followed by passionate and desperate lovemaking. 

Queer lovemaking. Her husband was obviously the dame in the equation. 

 

Hours later, James spoke again, “I have to go. They’ll find me.”

“James, no-” Howard pleaded. “I can protect you, please stay -” 

“Not against Hydra. Not the Red Room. My love, stay safe. I’ll come back.” 

 

And then he was gone. 

And her husband was left sobbing on the hotel room floor. 

He was so broken, she couldn’t bring herself to care that he was queer. 

 

When she saw him again, a smile was plastered on his face, looking normal, like he did every day. She wondered how often he hid his pain. His lips were swollen and his eyes slightly red. He walked gingerly, with a soft sway to his hip. 

“Good company last night?” She asked, trying to lighten the mood, but also make him feel like he didn’t have to hide everything. 

The smile at his lips stiffened. If she hadn’t been looking for it, she wouldn’t have seen it. “Best in a long time,” he quipped and slid his shades on and she saw his wrists were bruised. Nothing more was said. 

James' name only passed his lips when he slept. 

 

It was months later that she heard quiet cries from Howards wing. Quietly she pulled on a robe and padded down the hall to her husband. Pushing open the door, she saw his rooms were a mess. The door to the bathroom was open and she could hear Howard quietly sobbing. 

“Howard?” She called softly. 

In the bathroom, Howard scrambled, but she pushed the door aside, worried for him. Howard was on the floor, bathrobe pulled hastily around him. By the acidic scent he had obviously thrown up, and there were… pregnancy tests on the floor. 

“Howard?” 

He looked up at her, dark eyes fearful and wet with tears. She delicately leaned down and picked up one of the tests. Positive. 

It was positive. 

“Howard… whose are these?” 

“M-mine.” He had whispered, voice quivering, threatening to break. 

“I don’t understand,” Maria whispered in reply. Her gaze slipped to his stomach. He looked swollen. “Are you pregnant?” 

A fresh flood of tears welled and slipped down Howards cheeks. 

 

So many thoughts raced through her mind, but the prominent one was that… this explained why Howard had never been or wanted to be physical with her. He was a woman. 

Gingerly she sat down next to him and took his hand, “Is it James’ baby?” 

He nodded, “H- h- know?” he stuttered. 

“Berlin. I was in the next room over. Gave me quite a fright, he did. A fine looking fella though. If a bit ragged and in desperate need of a bath.” 

She smiled in victory as she managed to startle a laugh out of Howard. And then she got the story.   
And what a story. 

 

In the end they decided to hide Howard away, and she would fake a pregnancy. 

 

In was a roller coaster. 

There were many tears and a lot of panic and grief as James never came back as he promised. The day Howard confirmed that the Winter soldier was still with Hydra was a rough day. If not for the precious child he was carrying, Maria was not sure what would have happened. 

Little Anthony Edward Stark was born in the early morning hours of may 29th. He was a beautiful boy. 

And what a boy. 

A few months later, James returned, looking worse for wear. The look on his face when he saw Tony was like a man that had never seen the sun before. He’d knelt on the floor, tears streaming, clutching his child and Howard tightly to his chest. Maria managed to snap a few pictures. 

She could tell the moment James lost control and the Winter Soldier took over. A stiffness took over his body. His eyes glazed over and the soft adoration was replaced by cold indifference. He put newborn Tony down in his cot and quietly slipped out a window, leaving his son quietly whimpering at the sudden cold.

It was terrifying. 

Howard was shattered once more. 

In the years passing, the strain grew. Maria couldn’t imagine what it was like to have your heart out there, in danger, being a brainwashed prisoner of war. But Tony needed Howard, but Howard did not have the reserve. She suspected he suffered post partum depression, but as he refused to be treated, it only got worse as the years passed. 

Tony grew up distant from his mother. Father. 

They should have been like peas in a pod, but Tony’s striking resemblance to James pained Howard to madness. And Tony did not understand. She pleaded with Howard to tell Tony the truth, but Howard was convinced it would put Tony in danger. 

 

As she watched James prepare to kill Howard. 

She heard James say, “It was you or my son.” 

 

“Bucky…”

 

“Who is Bucky?” 

 

The End.


End file.
